How did a single mom living in Atlantic Canada save $2,000 in home heating costs in a year?

HALIFAX, Sept. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - As the single mother of a teenage daughter and the sole owner of a successful steakhouse, Chantal Sirois is cost-conscience and savings savvy.  After sixteen years of using oil to heat her home, Chantal learned by switching to propane she could efficiently fuel her bottom line.

Almost two years ago, Ms. Sirois made the decision to fulfill her life long dream to open her own steakhouse in her hometown of Edmundston, New Brunswick. With aspirations of becoming the next 'Cora', the wildly successful chain of breakfast restaurants, Chantal took a calculated risk and mortgaged her home plus she took strategic steps to see where she could save on her monthly bills.  Chantal's research motivated her to switch over to propane in December, 2012.

"When I bought my house seventeen years ago, it came with an oil burning furnace. It was very costly. So, when I finally decided to move forward and open the restaurant, I took a good look at my household expenses. I found one of most expensive utilities was heating."  According to Chantal, she has saved at least two thousand dollars in home heating costs this past year. She's so happy with the savings, Chantal shares it with her family, friends and restaurant patrons.

"I couldn't be happier with the results.  Not only am I saving money but my new furnace vents the heat much better and the new hot water heater keeps the temperature just right for showers and baths.  Very important for us, especially my teenage daughter," laughs Ms. Sirois.

"Ms. Sirois is representative of our enlightened customers learning about the long term cost benefits of propane," says Mike Thorne, Regional General Manager, Superior Propane. "Propane is a non-toxic and clean-burning energy alternative.  It doesn't present the same kinds of environmental concerns as fuel oil. It's a more efficient energy source and results in lower annual maintenance costs."

In addition to the potential energy savings, Superior Propane recommends consumers ask their insurance brokers about the potential for reduced insurance rates, due to decreased environmental risks of switching from oil and over to propane.

Provincial environment ministries are taking serious steps to reduce the risk of domestic oil spills. In Nova Scotia, they recently introduced the 'Contaminated Sites Regulations' (www.gov.ns.ca/nse/contaminatedsites.smallfuelspills.asp) which includes domestic oil spills.  The Nova Scotia Environment ministry considers a domestic oil spill to be 'a release of petroleum at a private residence or small apartment complex such as an oil leak'. The report goes on to say that, 'Removing contaminated soil to a treatment facility can be a costly venture ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars.'

To help consumers make the switch from oil to the more environment-friendly propane, Superior Propane has introduced a program to address the main stumbling block to conversion - the up-front cost.

Based on a equal monthly payment plan of a term of up to five years, Superior Propane is offering competitive, flexible financing on the installation of a new high efficiency propane furnace or boiler. For more information, please visit: www.superiorpropane.com/offoilNS

About Superior Propane

Superior Propane is Canada's only national provider of portable fuels, equipment and service. It delivers locally to customers in more communities than any other propane company. In business since 1951, Superior's headquarters are located in Calgary, AB and is part of the Energy Service division of Superior Plus LP.  Superior Propane employs more than 1,400 Canadians and delivers over 1.2 billion litres of propane annually.

SOURCE: Superior Propane

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